


Escaping Fate.

by Lucy_Mariogld



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Action/Adventure, Apocalypse, Armageddon, Blood and Gore, Brutality, Death, Demons, F/F, F/M, Hunters & Hunting, Impromptu Medical Procedures, M/M, Mind Games, Monsters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Revolution, Survival, Violence, Weirdmageddon, Weirdness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2020-09-18 20:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20319217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucy_Mariogld/pseuds/Lucy_Mariogld
Summary: What if Dipper and Mabel were born during Weirdmageddon?What if it was different? What was changed?Dipper Pines lives in the Resistance, a group that's been gathering every Zodiac for over twenty years while avoiding detection.When news of one of the last Zodiacs is alive and in the capital, Dipper is sent to retrieve them, unaware that someone else is following right behind him. What he doesn’t know is that there’s also a deadly secret haunting his new companion and, perhaps, even him.A secret more deadly than the land in which he calls home.





	1. Dark Beginnings.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the world is sometimes just the beginning of a new generation.

The deer darted forward, dodging the large demonic monster that chased it and the human that sat downwind from it, gun raised. The human figure lay crouched in the bushes, breathing slowly as he waited for the demon to cross his path. Once it did, he fired a shot, startling the birds in the trees above. It hit the demon in the chest, the creature laying sideways as it let loose animalistic cries for help. The boy pulled out a knife, stabbing it down into the throat of the being as black blood poured outwards. He removed his hood to reveal chestnut brown hair as he untied a rag from his waist. He looked to be around the age of thirteen, perhaps older or perhaps younger.

He wiped the blood off of his hands before examining the creature in front of him. 

It was about the size of a wolf, thick black fur fluffing up in places as it became mattered with its own blood. It looked like a wolf yet had a sharp beak of a predatory bird. “This one is new.” He mumbled to himself before glancing back around. He didn’t have enough time to skin the new creature.

More growls and sharp caws could be heard as he darted into the green and vibrant bracken, heading towards an unmarked destination. He slipped through the trees and fauna, jumping over loose logs as the growls became closer. 

The boy pulled onto a rope, looping his foot into the cord. He glided upwards as the weight from the other end falls to the ground, blending with the environment. He climbed up the pine tree until he reached the top. 

The young boy glanced across the treetops and at the orange sky above. The familiar tear in the distance an ever-present reminder of the time he lived in. The bestial noises fade away from the ground below. 

The figure jumped to the next tree, sliding down until he grabbed onto a thick branch. It clanked as he pulled his feet upon it. He kicked it, his body falling down as he lost balance. He skillfully guided his body into the hatch below as he used the other branches to guide himself. 

The hatch snapped close behind him as he stood in inky darkness for a moment. He traced a hand along the cold and metallic wall until he reached the light switch. The round lightbulb above flickered on with an electrical _ zzap _, bathing the room in a stark white light. 

The boy pulled off his cloak, hanging it beside the other on the wall. He turned back to the only door a second later. He swung it open, stretching his arms as his bones cracked. He walked down a grey metal corridor, rust showing in the corners of the panels. Bulbs were strung together above, glowing a pale white as they lead down the hallway.

“Ah! Dipper there you are!” A voice said, causing the boy known as Dipper to turn towards it. An older man walked forward with a smile as he grabbed the boy into a hug. 

“Stan, I thought I told Cordory to inform you that I was out. She did tell you, didn’t she?” Dipper asked after being released from the mildly uncomfortable embrace.

“She’s gone out for supplies. We discovered something new that could help us. You know where you need to be.” Stan replied, scratching his chin. Dipper didn’t say anything, he just nodded and continued down the hallway. He entered another room, the sound of people conversing echoing around the metallic room. 

Dipper entered the mess hall, people talking and eating what few rations there were. Mythological and ordinary people alike were eating finite pieces of bread and cheese. 

He sat down at one of the empty tables, pulling out something from his bag with gentle ease. Dipper set the notebook onto the table, pulling out a dulled and almost empty pen with it. He flicked through his notes, writing down his recent discovery. The wooden bench he sat on suddenly shifted in weight, Dipper turning to find a blonde female setting her tray down onto the table. 

“What are you writing this time, Dipper Pines?” She greeted with a chuckle, breaking her single roll of bread in half. 

“I encountered a different demon while out scouting. What are you up to, Pacifica?” He responded, snapping his notebook shut. 

“Soos ordered me to get you and I thought I’d grab lunch. Soos is in the meeting room again by the way.” Pacifica responded, munching on her bread slowly between her words. Dipper sighed, chuckling a little as he slipped his notebook back into his bag. He slung it over his shoulder as he rose from his seat. 

“Thanks, Paz. I’ll see you around.” He waved goodbye, heading down the hallway and towards the meeting room. He stopped outside a door, turning the rusted doorknob before he swung it open. The room was just like every other room, a single wooden table sitting in the middle surrounded by an array of chairs. Maps were pinned to the wall, a large man standing in front of one of them. He was wearing a black trench coat over a shirt with a question mark painted across it. “Hello, Soos.” Dipper greeted, shutting the door behind himself with a metallic _ click _. 

“Sup, dude. Come here while we wait for Mr Pines.” Soos said with a wide grin. He pointed at the Oregon map. He was pointing towards the worn red triangle that was circled in even more red ink, notes scrawled beside it. Pins were sticking out of different parts of the entire map, a gathering of seven dots were clustered on the far left of Oregon, another two pins sticking out of the triangle. There were a few more dots around the map. All of the pins had little symbols on them. The question mark, pinetree, crescent, ice bag, llama, pentagram and stitched heart were the largest group on the map.

“What is this?” He asked, scratching his head in confusion, pointing at the newest symbol on the map, the shooting star and six-fingered hand. Soos pointed at the largest cluster in the corner. 

“That’s all the zodiacs here. Our current location.” Soos explained, he then dragged his finger towards the spectacles. “McGucket is making his way towards us, he’ll be here in a week to a month.” The door suddenly swung open, two people entering. A smaller boy with pale white hair sat down at the table, pulling out a massive amount of books, the other one leaning against the wall before pulling off his black hood.

“What are you talkin’ ‘bout Soos?” The smallest asked, opening up a book filled with maps. 

“Trying to explain to Dipper about the recent discovery,” Soos explained, placing a hand on his hip. “Did you two find any rations with Cordory?” 

“Too many demons around. We couldn’t scavenge anything. Not even Gideon could sneak past before one of them spotted us and attacked.” The leaning figure said. 

“Hey! Robbie, you did a good job killing that Terra-bird though.” Gideon meekly commented, smiling faintly.

“You do know that Terra-birds don’t travel large distances on land right? They’re flying creatures that can never land.” Dipper explained, pulling out his notebook.

“It landed that time,” Robbie said grimly, pulling out a small pistol before loading it with more ammunition. Gideon just mildly turned back to his books as Dipper sat down in a chair. He leant back in it, legs against the table. The door swung open, Stan entering the room after he shut the door behind himself. Dipper removed his feet from the table as everyone else sat down at the table, Stan sitting at the head. Dipper slipped his notebook onto the table, flicking to the most recent page, a half-drawn image on it. 

“I encountered a new demon while I was out,” Dipper stated, pointing at his notebook. Stan picked the notebook up in his gloved hands, flicking through it. 

“Kid, how many demons are in here?” He asked a minute later, putting the notebook back onto the table.

“Two hundred and fifty-two. Most of them are common in Oregon. The most common to our area alone are the Terra-bird, Silver-tongues and this most recent one which hasn’t got a name. They hunt in packs more often than not. That’s all I’ve discovered so far.” He flicked to the pages of each demon. 

“This is why I love this kid.” Stan chuckled, ruffling Dipper’s hair as Soos patted Dipper on the back. “Right. Down to business.” The mood suddenly shifted to a more serious one, Stan rising from his seat. He walked over to the maps, pointing at the one of Oregon. “As you all know, we know that Sixer’s been stuck in the citadel for the last twenty odd years but recent information from McGucket says that the last zodiac is somewhere in the citadel as well.” He pointed at the shooting star pin, slight resentment coating his voice as he spoke. 

“It’ll be risky, won’t it?” Gideon stated, the air in the room tense as he spoke. 

“That’s why I’m only sending one of you to retrieve them. Dipper, you’re our best scout and our best fighter when it comes to these monsters. I’m sending you on a mission if you choose to accept it.”

“What?! The twig gets to go! C'mon, Mr Pines!” Robbie complained. 

“Let’s not forget who beat you when he was nine, Robbie.” A voice from the doorway said. Everyone turned to see a red-headed teenager leaning in the doorway. Wendy walked into the room and sat down, fixing her headband afterwards. 

“No complaints, Valentino. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for since this nightmare began twenty years ago. Meeting dismissed.” Stan snapped before exiting the room. With slight complaints, Robbie left the room as Soos and Wendy followed after him. Dipper felt something brush against his fingers. He glanced down to see a book in front of him. Open at a page. 

“You might wanna read up on this, Dipper. Ya’ll need it seeing where you're going.” Gideon stated. Dipper picked up the book, hand-written notes on the citadel filling the entire page. 

“Alright, Gideon, enough boring the kid, he already knows this stuff,” Stan said, jerking the book away from Dipper. 

“When do I leave?” Dipper asked, crossing his arms softly. 

“Tomorrow morning. Pack what you need, you're going undercover to find the shooting star. Remember to avoid the patrols.” The older man explained. Dipper nodded, rising from his spot. He left the room without another word, walking down the grey panelled hallway. He turned right and stopped at the next door. He swung it open with a yawn, tossing his bag onto the bottom bunk of the bed. He tore off his boots, dumping them by the door as Dipper sat down on the bed with a sigh. 

Lying down on his back, his mind raced to remember every detail he knew about the citadel, the capital of weirdness. He dug through his shirt, pulling out a necklace with dogs tags hanging from it, tracing a finger across the pinetree engraved in it. He rose from his bed a second later, flicking the radio on the table nearby, on. It crackled to life, the daily propaganda squeaking from the old speakers. 

‘_ Evening you one life-span flesh sticks, your lord and saviour here, the- _ ’ it crackled, static appearing a second later. Dipper slammed his fist against the device, the radio returning to normal. ‘- _ Pines has increased to less torture for information. My weirdness gallery will be opening in a few weeks, you pathetic meat puppets like art, right? Remember, I’m always watching! _’ The radio report ended with shrill laughter before changing to classical music. He flicked it off, lying on his back as he stared up at the bunk above him. He let loose a yawn, his eyes fluttering closed a moment later.

* * *

A young woman ran through the trees, the rapid sound of her heart beating thundering in her chest. She slipped through the trees, the bundles in her arms squirming as one of them let loose cries. “Shh! Hush little one. We’re almost there.” She whispered, holding the bundles close. “I need to get you somewhere safe and away from him.” The snarls grew louder. She reached a tree, pulling a hidden lever which opened a rusted hatch. She stashed the first one in the hatch, stuffing a letter with the bundle. She knelt down, tears running down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, my child. You’re much safer here than in that hell.” She pulled the lever again, still clinging to the other child. 

“And where are you going?” A chilling voice said. She backed against a tree, clinging to her last child. A figure stepped through the foliage, covered in the shadows from the canopy above. She heard growling and snarling surrounding her, wolf-like creatures surrounding the clearing. He was dressed in a black suit. His greying brown hair slicked back, the glasses on his nose making him appear even older. The women was frozen in fear, the bundle in her arms beginning to cry. 

“Shh!” She hissed, holding the child closer to her chest as the man advanced forward. Her chestnut brown eyes were wide in fear as she rapidly tried to quieten the child.

“Ariel Pines. What a pleasure.” The man spoke, a cane suddenly appearing as he leant against it. “What are you doing out on a day like this?” He motioned to the orange sky above with a smirk, his slitted yellow eyes taunting her. He swung the cane forward, looping the bundle in the hook. He pulled it towards himself as the woman moved forward to stop him.

“No!” She shouted, moving a hand out to grasp the rapidly moving cane. The demon creatures growled, baring their teeth. 

“Uh uh! I wouldn’t do that if I were you!” He taunted, raising an eyebrow as the wolves moved closer. He grabbed onto the bundle with a six finger hand, resting it in the crook of his elbow. He pulled back the blanket to reveal a wide-eyed child. “Trying to run away with the Shooting Star I see. Hmmm. That won’t do at all.”

“Please, Cipher. Don’t-” Ariel began to beg, falling to her knees. 

“Don’t what?” Bill Cipher’s smile rose at the sight of the begging women. He moved forward until they were face to face, the demon smiling widely. “Don’t you remember the rules? Running away give you the right to become a statue. I won’t punish this pathetic child but I will punish you.” He snapped his fingers as she began to freeze into stone, tears running down her cheeks. The baby in his arms began to cry, Bill recoiling in disgust. “Ew! You meat sacks are disgusting.” He clicked his fingers, the child hovering in blue magic. An object fell to the ground with a quiet thump. Bill lowered his gaze towards the object before picking it up. It was a necklace, dog tags the only thing on the chain. He turned it over in his fingers, the engraving a shooting star on one side, words engraved on the other. “Mabel Pines.” He chuckled, reading it aloud. He snapped his fingers, the shooting star changing to a triangle instead before he replaced the necklace around the chubby child’s neck. She instantly grabbed the tags in her small fat fingers, sucking on the metal. “Off we go then.” He spoke to no one in particular, walking back the way he came. 

The trees swayed around the clearing, the sky darkening as night set in. A figure climbed down a tree, stumbling to the ground with a loud thunk. “AH!” He screamed, landing on his side. 

He slowly rose, looking around the area for something. “Ah ha! I found it! You still got it, Stan.” He whispered to himself when he found the hidden lever. He pulled it, the rusted hatch slowly opening to revealing a sleeping child wrapped in a torn blanket. 

There was a note pinned to the blanket. 

The man pulled the child out of the hole, squinting to look at the note. He looked down at the child a second later before rising from his crouching position. He walked across the clearing, looking for another hidden lever. He pulled it, another hatch appearing. He glanced into the second hole to find nothing inside. He glanced back at the note with slight confusion. There was a sudden growl and the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth. “Crap.” He hissed, holding the blue bundle closely as he fled into the forest.


	2. Discovering Another.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the person you're stuck with can lead you somewhere new.

Dipper slipped through the shadowy bracken, stepping lightly over branches and thistles that littered the ground. He pulled out a compass, checking the direction he was heading. His trench coat was torn from travelling for days. Dipper paused for a moment, watching the sun rising in the sky. He pulled out his notebook and pen, drawing another tally down. He had been travelling for at least two weeks. He would reach the capital in a matter of minutes. The shadows still coated the ground as he kept alert, walking through and around flora. A hare darted from a bush nearby, a cat stalking past it. 

Dipper continued his journey, climbing up a steep hill. He stood atop the hill, glancing down at the view before him. A massive triangular pyramid floated in the sky, made out of black bricks. The tear in the sky was even larger than at the Resistance’s base. The land below it was an entire city of black bricks, people only just waking up as the dawn markets was about to start. A massive wall surrounded the city, the wall bordered completely by trees. In the distance, a complete wasteland on the other side. He pulled off his pack, slipping behind a tree as he removed something from inside. He pulled out a pair of glasses and a container. He clicked open the container, pulling out the coloured contact lenses. Gently, he slipped them onto his eyes before placing the false glasses on the bridge of his nose. He put the container away, picking his pack back up and swinging it onto his shoulder. Dipper walked down the hill towards the citadel's massive gates. 

The gates loomed above him, made of iron and built of more black brick. 

“Who goes there? Identification!” A male voice shouted. A guard stood on the other side of the gate, completely decked out in black armour made of fibreglass. He wore a helmet that prevented Dipper from seeing his face. 

“Tyrone. Tyrone Forrester.” Dipper lied, digging through his pockets in search of a false ID. He pulled it out, passing it over to the guard. The guard looked at it for a while, glancing up at Dipper whilst doing so. He tapped it in his hand before speaking. 

“Alright kid. You can come through. Have a good day.” The guard stated, passing the card back. Slowly, the gates rattled open, revealing the city to Dipper. He walked through, nodding at the guard before heading down the cobblestone street. 

Demons and humans alike were patrolling the street, posters of Bill plastered on every wall. He arrived at the centre of the town, a massive statue of the triangular overlord in the centre. 

People were already buzzing around, young children darting between the crowds. Suddenly, Dipper felt someone bump into him, causing him to lose his balance. He fell to the ground before he looked at who had disrupted his walking. A girl around his age stood there, surprised and startled. Something then jumped onto him, giving him a massive lick with its tongue, his glasses going askew. Dipper looked down to see a pink coloured pig on his lap.

“Oh my! I’m so sorry! Waddles doesn’t really have any boundaries.” She squeaked out, pulling the pig off of him. 

“It’s alright,” Dipper replied, rising to his feet before wiping off the saliva and dust that he had gathered on his trip. The young girl looked around the age of fifteen, her chestnut brown hair below her waist. What put Dipper off was her sweater. It was a pale yellow, a single colourful shooting star in the centre. “Shooting Star…” He whispered under his breath.

“Uh, pardon me? I’m Mabel, by the way. Are you new around here or something?” She asked, tapping her fingers together awkwardly.

“Oh! Yes! I’m… Tyrone.” Dipper was snapped back to reality when she spoke, shaking his head. “That’s a nice sweater you’ve got.” He pointed at her sweater and she blushed, trying to cover it up.

“It’s, uh, nothing. Sooo, what brings you to the Citadel?” 

“Just looking for someone.” He was intrigued by her sweater. He knew the fashion of the capital, yellow and black were common. But what caused so many red flags was the multicoloured shooting star. 

“Oh. Okay. Do you want someone to hang out with while you look, Tyrone? There’s not many people my age around here anymore.” She looked sort of solemn as she spoke, glancing around cautiously as she did so. Dipper knew he didn’t need to find the Shooting Star anymore. He had a large hunch this girl in front of him was the Shooting Star.

“Sure.” He nodded, walking down the street, Mabel, the Shooting Star, following beside him as she began to ramble. 

“So my uncle told me, you can’t go outside unless you clean your room and I said I would. My uncle is pretty cool. People respect him a lot. He’s not actually my uncle, he’s like my great uncle or something. He calls me his little shooting star. Who are you looking for again?” Mabel stopped, pouting while looking at Dipper. “Is it-” Dipper suddenly pulled her into a dark alley, pushing her up against the corner wall to avoid the cameras that were being pointed right at them. “What-”

“Shhhhh! I need you to be quiet before I tell you this.” Dipper held a finger against her lips, silencing her. She nodded, fear appearing in her eyes. “My name isn’t Tyrone and the person I’m looking for is you.” 

“Me? Why me?” She whispered back, clinging tightly to her pig. 

“My name is Dipper Pines, I’m a member of the Resistance and you’re one of the last Zodiacs we need to find.” He explained, removing his glasses.

“P-Pines…? That’s my last name.” Her eyes went wide with realization. There was sudden shouting, people appearing at the entrance to the alleyway. 

“IT’S HIM! GET HIM!” One shouted, raising their guns.

“Shit.” He swore, grabbing onto her arm, running down the other end. Bullets flew past, luckily not hitting them. They burst into a marketplace, Mabel screaming about her pig again. 

“I need to go back to get Waddles!” 

“He’ll be fine, you will not!” He glanced over his shoulder to see a large squadron of guards appearing where they once were. 

He jumped onto one of the stall tables, knocking whatever was on it off. He jumped across stalls, jumping down a minute later. He dodged under beams of bamboo and wood, bursting through sheets of cloth. He turned left, knocking down a cart behind the pair of them. Dipper swung Mabel onto another table, following behind her. 

“Get onto the wall!” He pointed to the wooden wall beside the scaffolding. She began to climb up, Dipper turning around as his trench coat dramatically flared behind him. He flicked his wrist down, pulling out a pistol as he aimed it towards the fleet of guards. He fired a shot, a guard instantly going down. The guard’s comrades paused for a moment. 

“FORGET HIM! GET THAT TRAITOR!” One of them shouted, pushing his co-workers out of the way. Dipper fired more shots, hitting another guard. 

He looked up to see bamboo holding up a stack of wood. 

Dipper shot at the bamboo joint, the entire thing collapsing on the guards. He vaulted himself up to the wall with ease, grabbing onto Mabel’s hand once he was up. They ran over the scaffolding, vanishing into the building that was being constructed via an open window. They climbed down the ladder, their feet crunching against the ground. Mabel stood on the marble flooring, breathing in deeply as her hands rested on her knees.

“That was….. “ She breathed out, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

“Normal?” He chuckled out, leaning against the wall while reloading his gun. 

“HEH?! You just killed someone and that’s normal?! You tell me your someone who’s highly wanted for MURDER before grabbing me and running through the dawn market?!” She was shouting now, panicking. 

“Listen, I’m the one who’s gonna get you out of this hell hole otherwise I’ll fail my mission. Get used to it. Not to mention that now that you’ve been seen with me, you’re wanted now too!” He stated. She fell silent, sitting down on the floor. Dipper looked at their surroundings with slight excitement. They were in the unfinished art gallery, a massive abstract statue of the Overlord in the centre. There was a skylight above, domed and circular. Pillars surround the room, a massive archway acting as the only other exit. Suddenly, the glass above smashed in, guards repealing from above as they surround the two teens. “Shit. You know, I really thought you people were stupider than you seemed.” He chuckled, looking at their raised guns. Dipper rapidly thought of a way out, glaring in the direction of a figure that emerged from the shadows. 

“I was wondering when you’d show up, Dipper Pines.” The woman spoke as her shoes stamped against the ground. Dipper turned towards Mabel who had frozen up and paled considerably. “Oh, there you are Mabel.” Candy Chu pulled out her gun from its holster. “You’ve caused quite a stir this morning, Dipper. You never cease to disappoint, do you? How long has it been?”

“About five years if I remember correctly, you traitorous bitch. Well, congrats, you caught me! Not like that will do you any good. They trained me well. My question is how did a twelve-year-old girl get to be the captain of the guards?” Dipper rebutted with a smirk, hands on his hip. He slipped his gun gently into his right hand as Candy began to rant. 

“As arrogant as ever. I noticed you met Mabel. What are you up to this time, Pines?” Candy questioned. “Guards, contain Dipper Pines and escort Mabel back to her home,” she said with a snap of her fingers. Dipper suddenly pulled out his gun, firing at one of the guards. He fell to the ground with a thump, the other guards reacting in surprise. Before they could shoot back, Dipper shot another, sliding under the legs of one when they ran forward to tackle him. He picked up a gun that had fallen, firing both at the same time. Two, and then four, went down, the remaining four charging at him. 

“Get a better tactic, guys,” Dipper said with an eye roll as he stepped to the side, the four guards crashing into the statue. He fired his gun into their bodies, each of them dying one after the other. He swung his pistol his hand, dropping the other gun to the ground. Candy still stood, her pistol raised. 

“Ah uh! You aren’t going anywhere.” Candy snapped. He allowed her to charge forward, slamming him against another pillar. He grunted as he felt her dig her elbow in his ribcage. He pulled his gun up to her shoulder, firing his before she could. Candy stumbled backwards, her shoulder already bleeding heavily. He shot her in the knee, the teen collapsing to the ground. 

“STOP!” Mabel screamed, running over to the fallen girl. She tore off her headband and wrapped the first strip around Candy’s shoulder tightly before tightly binding her knee. 

“Fine. I’ll leave her alive. But you’re coming with me, Princess.” 

“Look after Waddles for me,” Mabel said with a regretful look at Candy. Dipper walked over to her, looking her dead in the eye. He bound Chu’s wrists roughly with rope despite her strong protests.

“The Overlord will come after you! He’ll-” She began to shout but Dipper shoved a piece of cloth into her mouth as she spoke. 

“C'mon. We need to get moving before that triangle gets here.” Dipper stated, slipping his gun back into its holster. 

He grabbed Mabel’s arm as they exited the way they came in, the sun now high in the sky. He slipped his scarf over his mouth as he watched the girl climb through the window and down the wall. 

They walked through the market, people picking up their scattered wares. Dipper spotted a baked goods stall and walked over to it. He pulled out what coin he had, counting it in the palm of his hand. “How much for twenty loaves of long-lasting bread?” He asked, the baker. 

“Twenty coins, lad.” He responded, already bagging up the bread. Dipper smiled, it was much cheaper than the market near the Resistance. He passed over the coin, the man passing back the sack of bread. “Goin’ on a long trip, eh boy?”

“Something like that. Nice doing business with you, sir,” Dipper said with a nod before he walked off, Mabel meekly trailing behind him. “What’s got you all spooked?” 

“How about you?” Mabel snapped, straightening herself. “You just murdered a bunch of people and now you’re acting completely normal.” She whispered it as the walked past a fruit stall. Dipper picked up an apple sneakily, passing the women at the stall. She didn’t look at him with a second glance as the duo continued to walk.

Mabel looked slightly perturbed at the sight of him ‘_borrowing_’ that apple.

“It’s normal for me. Not everyone got the chance to live in the Citadel.” He bit into the apple, looking at her without emotion. “While you were growing up in the comfort of this place, I grew up out there. Past these gates, there are deadlier demons. Demons that could tear a grown man in two. Trust me, I’ve seen it, Princess.” He bitterly responded. “And that’s where we’re going.” 

“No! I don’t want to! I’ve got people who care about me that live here.” Mabel snapped quietly as they walked through alleyways, Mabel abruptly stopping.

“Fine Maple, get caught. The cameras record everything. Get executed for all I care.” Dipper snapped, already frustrated by her. He grabbed her by her arm, pulling her close and he unravelled something from his bag. “You don’t have a choice.” He bound her wrists, despite her protests. He pulled the sweater over to cover most of it. 

“My name is Mabel, not Maple.” She grumbled. He rolled his eyes, digging through her pockets as he grabbed her ID card.

“Whatever. We’re almost at the gates. Act normal.” He hissed, pointing at the large metal barrier blocking there way. The entire thing was swarming with guards, guns raised and clearly alert. “You kidding me?” He complained, instantly changing direction. He looked at the streets turning right and then left as he dragged Mabel behind him. He looked around, spotting a symbol graffitied on the wall. He smiled, walking toward it as he counted the bricks. 

“What are you doing?” Mabel complained, crossing her arms the best she could. He pressed his fingers against the dark brick wall, tracing along a grove. He felt a bump and he firmly pressed down on it. 

“Finding a secret passage.” He said with a smirk as the wall shifted to reveal a downwards tunnel that disappeared into the inky darkness. “C’mon Princess.” He grabbed her rope bindings and pulled her down into the darkness. The entrance closed behind them, showering them in dust. Dipper rummaged through his pockets to find a box of matches. He pulled a match out, striking it alight to illuminate the tunnel. It was made completely of dirt, wooden beams holding it up.

“How long has this been here?” Mabel asked as they walked through the tunnel, nothing but darkness ahead of them.

“Quite a while. It can only be accessed from the inside the citadel, sadly.” There was rumbling up ahead, the roof shaking as specks of dirt fell to the ground. 

“Right.” She shakingly replied, shifting her wrists a bit as they continued down the dark and foreboding tunnel.


	3. Back To Base.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scars are a reminder of why the world ended.

Dipper Pines stepped over the dead carcass of a deer, gingerly allowing the girl who accompanied him to react with a grimace as he lead her through the dying undergrowth. After a week worth of travelling, she still hadn’t gotten used to travelling. “Seriously, it’s much worse than you’d expect it. Be glad we haven’t encountered any creatures other than rabbits and deer.” Dipper snapped. He didn’t want to be stuck on a stupid mission with a stuck up princess-like Mabel Pines. Even if she was the one he was to save. 

“Sorry sorry sorry.” She meekly said, holding her still bound hands close to her chest. Dipper flicked a small dagger out of his pocket, grabbing her arm. “What-” 

“Just hold still.” He roughly sliced at the rope binding her wrists together as the rope slide to the ground. “You’re more of a liability tied up.” He placed the dagger back into his pocket, stepping over a dead tree branch as he did so. He paused, looking out at the horizon. Maple, or whatever her name was, stopped rapidly behind him. Before them stretched a horrid landscape that seemed to be made of human skin, completely barren of cover. He heard his companion making a gagging noise. 

“W-What is that..?” He turned to her as she paled considerably at the sight of it. 

“A valley made of human flesh and body parts. It’s gonna get a lot worse than this, I assure you, Princess.” Dipper continued walking down the hill, Mabel stumbling to follow after him. She gingerly eased her foot around a jutting eyeball with a grimace. Dipper wasn’t fazed by it at all. He stepped past the gaping mouths and arching noses that appeared through the fleshy valley. 

Eventually, after a long and gruelling walk, they reached the other end, a large hill. Dipper pulled out a notebook from his bag along with a drained and worn pen. He jotted down a few things before snapping the book shut. He stuffed it back into his bag before looking up at the sky, the sun almost reaching sunset. He motioned for Mabel to follow him down the second hill. The landscape changed by the time they stepped foot on flat land. Trees made out of steel, metal and other technological advancements replaced the forest. A forest, made of what could be considered modern technology, stretched across the horizon. Old skyscrapers that had somehow made their way there, were buried into the ground and were horribly smashed together, looking like titled buildings that were somehow able to stay upright despite the instability it showed.

“What is this place? What is-” Mabel spluttered out, ducking under a tangle of wires. 

“Do I have to explain every single place we go to? Just shut up and walk. We’ll waste time if you keep rambling. Not to mention that you’re attracting every single predator in the area by not shutting the hell up!” Dipper snapped, finally having enough. He stormed through the mechanical undergrowth in a fit of rage, jumping over beams as he pushed his way through. 

He had thrown stealth out of the window. 

“I’m sorry. I’m-” She mumbled out, following swiftly behind him. She let loose a breath as she spoke, trying desperately to keep up with the fitter teen. “-Just not used to this.” Mabel breathed out, swatting away a loose USB cord. 

“I didn’t ask for this mission. I didn’t ask to drag your sorry ass through the weirdness. You’re fucking lucky nothing has tried to kill us.” Dipper grunted, emerging from the trees to find himself standing by one of the skyscrapers. He paused, looking intently at the environment. Dipper walked over to the side of a building, tracing his gloved hands against the window pane as he stared at the claw marks that were cut deeply into the building.

“I didn’t ask for this either!” Mabel screamed, watching as Dipper pulled his notebook back out. He flicked through a few pages as she spoke. “Look, I don’t know how we’re related at all. All I know is that you’re probably my cousin or something. I-” Dipper suddenly jerked a hand over her mouth, raising a finger up to silence her.

“Shh! We need to get out of her, quickly.” He whispered, panic in his voice. He jerked her arm forward as he ran, ducking under beams as they ran from some unknown threat. Dipper slipped under a building, fallen beams stretching overhead, barely enough room for them to stand. pulling Mabel along with him. 

She suddenly yelped, jerking backwards. Dipper glanced back, seeing that her sweater sleeve had gotten caught on a loose piece of metal, pulling her back at least three inches. She was frantically trying to free herself. 

And then they heard it. 

A low growl coming from above, small pieces of debris falling in front of them. 

A shadow leaked through the gaps in the makeshift roof, showing that there was indeed something above them. Dipper raised a finger up to his lips, slowly slipping his gun from its holster. He aimed it upwards as Mabel continued to struggle. Mabel pulled herself free, running over to Dipper instantly as the roof above where she was second ago collapsed. 

A jet black creature emerged from the dust, lurching towards them. As it did so, another piece of rubble came down, pinning the creature to the ground. It resembled a panter, only it’s skin seemed to be made of leather. It let loose a hiss before it lowered it head. Electric blue blood seeped onto the ground around the creature. It whimpered a second later.

“What is that?!” Mabel screeched, recoiling. Dipper checked his gun for a second before responding. 

“A Silver-tongue. Commonly solo hunters. They hunt in packs sometimes though. They typically use stealthy methods of attack. Weak spots are their tongues and eyes.” Dipper explained, aiming his pistol towards the creature. Without hesitating, Dipper shot the Silver-tongue in the eyes, the creature letting loose a roar of pain before it finally lay still. Mabel was shaking beside him. 

“Why…?” She whispered, staring at the corpse with slight sorrow.

“It’s easier this way. C’mon. We wasted too much time.” He dragged her by the arm, leading her out of the rubble. They silently walked until they reached the edge of the environment, normal woodland stretching out in front of them for at least a mile or two until the weirdness seemed to leak into the earth again. Dipper knew it was at least five more days and nights of travel until they reached the Resistance, cursing himself to agreeing to this mission.

After an hour of travel and entering three different environments, night finally fell. 

Dipper sat down, pulling out a lighter as he lit the small amount of timber he had gathered. It wasn’t cold enough to need blankets. They were fortunate for that. Dipper broke the piece of bread in half, the fresh bread making his stomach groan. 

He passed half of the loaf over to his companion, watching as she greedily ate it, leaving no crumbs left. “When was the last time you ate?” He asked, pulling out a flask as he took a sip. The woodland around them was silent except for the crickets that echoing around. The fire crackled, sparks flying as Mabel raised her head up to look at Dipper. 

“A week. It was a punishment.” She quietly spoke, rubbing her arms. She was hiding something. Dipper scoffed, taking a bite out of his bread before stretching his arms. 

“What did you do to earn that punishment, Princess?” He pried, looking at her with boredom. 

“Nothing. I’d rather not talk about it.” She coldly responded, glancing out into the wilderness around them. Dipper slipped out a piece of jerky, passing it over to her. Dipper looked at the twigs and torn treads in her sweater, gaining a useful idea.

“Give me your sweater.” He demanded.

“W-What?!” She sputtered out, recoiling from him as if he had just asked her to do something disgusting.

“I said, give me your sweater,” Dipper repeated, his voice hard and slightly condescending. Begrudgingly, she slipped out of her sweater to reveal her white singlet top underneath. 

Dipper pulled out his dagger, grabbing one of the sleeves. He tore through the end despite her words of protest. He repeated the progress until the once long sleeve sweater was now shorter and less likely to get caught on anything. And then he looked up and saw her bare arms before staring. 

The young girl’s arms were littered with healed and fresh cuts. Some of which look only a week old. Mabel didn’t seem to realize that he had noticed, rather she just continued to nibble on the salty meat in her hand. He slowly passed her sweater back.

“Why did you remove the sleeves? I like sleeves.” She grumbled, looking in dismay at the sweater in her arms. 

“You’ll get caught on something again. We cannot take that risk.” He responded, a hint of sadness in his voice. Dipper didn’t know if those wounds on Mabel’s arms were self-inflicted or not. He had seen too many people throwing away their lives during his lifetime. Too many lives were lost because of the nightmarish and hellish way they had to survive. He decided not to bring it up as the two of them sunk into silence. Mabel was fiddling with something that he couldn’t see.”What’s that you’ve got?” He asked, slightly interested.

“Oh. Just my dog tags. T-They’re nothing… “ She mumbled, glancing back down at them while biting her lip. “It just says a pair of names… nothing big. I suppose the other person it just someone else related to us.” She grew even quieter, staring down at them with a slightly sorrowful and whimsical look.

“I’ve got a pair two.” Dipper reached under his scarf, pulling forward his own pair. “You know, I thought it was odd when I first learned of your name but now I understand.” He unlactched his chain, showing her his. “Your name is on mine.” 

“B-But your name is Dipper!” She sputtered out, looking at his tags before glancing at her own.

“It’s just a nickname.” He awkwardly chuckled, face flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Then… “ Mabel scrunched her face as she thought, trying to connect the dots.

“We are siblings. Twins to be exact. I was told I had a sibling once. Didn’t know if they were-that’s beside the point.” He explained, letting loose a sigh. 

He pulled out his notebook and opening it to a page with lines sketched as they linked to form a map. He turned a page as he glanced at the Zodiac wheel that he had sketched out unknowingly. Peering over his shoulder, Mabel placed a finger against the six-fingered hand, a frown appearing on her face before she muttered something.

“Grunkle Ford…”


	4. Burning Bridges.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past holds keys to the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Three chapters in one day? What is this witchcraft you ask? These chapters have been in my backburner for, well, months. I wrote four chapters and stopped because I was hesitant about posting it. 
> 
> A great thank you for the following people who had the guts to comment;
> 
> Firstly to GFANDUTMEMES, I'm glad you're interested in this. I hope you continue to read.
> 
> Lastly, PureSpirit. I'm glad I've piqued your interest and here's a chapter because I just couldn't wait either!
> 
> Enjoy!

Dipper watched Mabel muttering something under her breath before the teen began to show signs of panic. Gingerly, he placed a hand on her back. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He carefully asked, trying to avoid triggering her worst emotions. 

“Grunkle Ford. Oh, no-no. I shouldn’t have left. Bill’s going to kill him again.” She breathed out so quickly Dipper could only just understand. Guilt washed over her facial features, fright seeping in.

“What do you mean, ‘_ kill him again _’?” The previously light-hearted moment had shifted to a dire and more serious conversation so rapidly Dipper was struggling with processing what she was saying. 

“He’s killed him before. I saw it.” Mabel was clutching her legs now, a look of utter terror the next thing flashing across her face. “H-H-He said it was a p-punishment.” She was shuttering so much, Dipper had to stop her before her words became inaudible. 

“Calm down. Please, just calm down, Mabel.” He had seen this type of behaviour quite a few times, grabbing her hand gently. “Deep breathes. Okay? Focus on my voice. It’s alright, he’s not here. It’s going to be alright.” He spoke softly, trying to ease her out of her panic. She nodded, breathing in and out. “It’s going to be alright.” He breathed out, trying to mimic a calm posture as she followed along.

After a moment of panic, did Mabel finally calm down, grasping onto a nearby branch as she lowered herself back to the ground. “I’m okay. I’m okay… “ She quietly mumbled, glancing at the starry sky. 

“Why don’t we talk about something else?” He offered, frowning in concern. Despite not wanting to be paired with such a person, Dipper had to emit he was growing slightly fond of his apparent lost twin.

* * *

The grey-haired man tapped his fingers against the side of the throne where he sat, idly staring off into the distance as a scowl crossed his facial features. He let loose a growl as the orientate crown on his head was flung towards a figure below him. “How the _ fuck _ did you lose her?!” Venomous concern threatened to overwhelm the steaming rage of hate that coursed through the man’s veins.

“I’m sorry your majesty, Dipper-” A frightened Candy stuttered out, shaking in her heavy-duty boots.

“_ Pinetree _ .” The tyrannical ruler hissed, clenching his fist as he crushed his beverage in his hand, peppering his fingers with shards of razor-sharp glass. “ _ Of course. _ Of all the pets he could have taken he had to take the one Sixer cared about most of all.” With a wave of the man’s hand, a small orb floated forward, grasped by a pair of six-fingered hands. A scene was projected inside the small circular object depicting a duo of figures. “He never has let go of a grudge, huh? Pinetree is going to regret the day he stole Shooting Star from my custody.” He growled, fire spitting from nearby as the walls were scorched black once more.

“_ And I’ll catch him myself if I have to. _”

* * *

The young boy sat at the small table, drawing with worn crayons with a scrunched expression. A boy only just old enough to barely speak, he let loose a small giggle as he held up his artwork with a pair of chubby and fat finger to his companion in the room. His chestnut brown eyes were sparked with some unknown knowledge as he babbled. “You likey, St-an?”

The older man shifted his gaze toward the drawing before he glanced at the child in deep concern. “Dipper, what’s that you’ve drawn, huh, kid?” He asked, looking over to the doorway where another red-headed child stood. 

“I dunno! I dream ‘bout tri-an-gle man.” Dipper spoke some of his words in syllables, almost as if he was testing his words. Stan finally gained a better looked at the drawing. A poorly drawn image of a circle design with an even worse drawing of a triangle on the inside. It was surrounded by more scribbles. To some it meant nothing but to others it was a sense of panic.

“Triangle-Oh no, Dipper!” Stan’s concern flew into a panic as he grabbed the four-year-old into his grasp as he threw the paper into the corner. “Wendy! Close the door!” He screamed, watching as the six-year-old jerked the door closed. She was a lot smarter than others her age. The paper burst into bright cobalt flames, a malformed black figure appearing. It morphed into something small as a teddy bear, staring up with amusement at the trio. 

“Ah. So I see my efforts have finally paid off, haven’t they, Fez?” The tiny triangle taunted, striking fear into Wendy and Stan as the young Dipper stared in confusion. The triangle floated up and towards Dipper, holding out a small hand.

"Get away from my nephew!” Stan growled, pulling the brown-haired child behind him. “You have no power here! I’ve made sure of that, Cipher!” The triangle pulled back, glaring in complaint as he let loose a scoff. 

“You can’t keep Pinetree away from me forever! That goes for the rest of you stupid Zodiacs. One day, I will crush your bone and eat them for lunch.” With that, the small piece of paper finally curled into ash, rendering the demon gone. Wendy ran forward, grabbing Dipper and Stan into a tight embrace. The four-year-old was too young to understand what was going on and what his actions might cause. Instead, he just continued to let his family embrace him.

* * *

The young boy, around the age of four, entered the room. He peeked around the corner to see one of the other survivors bawling her eyes out into a ragged pillowcase. The girl was only a few years older than him, the red-head pre-teen sobbing profusely. “Wen-day? Wut’s wron’?” He mumbled, his voice covered with childish audibility and inability to speak properly despite his innate ability to understand so much.

“Nothing… Just leave me alone, Dip.” She mumbled, turning away from him. Wendy had a few more years of experience than Dipper but nonetheless, he knew something was wrong with his best friend. Maybe she had lost their only toy again. Or maybe it was the crayons this time. He crawled onto her bed, still chubby fingers gripping onto the sheets.

“Wut wron’? Wen-day?” He mumbled, lying down next to her.

“My Mommy.” Was all the six-year-old mumbled back, growing silent but still able to cry. Young Dipper didn’t understand why she was crying. 

“It okay.” He gently patted her back, unaware of the horrid reality. “Your Mommy get loss?” 

“No. She’s not coming back, Dip.” She turned to face him, snot pouring from her nose as her eyes puffed up, red and swollen from the excessive amount of crying. He grabbed her into a hug, clinging onto her tightly despite his smaller frame.

“It gonna be a-right, Wen-day. It gonna be o-kay.” He comforted with a smile, innocence leaking from his voice. 

“Thanks….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N NOW WITH ARTWORK!


	5. Almost Home.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't. Get. Caught.

The young ten-year-old felt his heart racing to keep time as he watched the plastic-looking fork being plunged towards him. “OKAY! OKAY! I’LL TALK!” He screamed, yelping in fear, tears running down his cheeks. 

“Enough! Stop the simulation! Dammit Dipper!” A gruff voice from behind a glass window spoke, pressing a button as the person holding the blade pulled back, frowning. The stuttering child wiped his tears away, glancing down at the floor in a feeling of disappointment.

“I really thought you’d get it right this time, dude.” The man spoke, lifting up his goggles to reveal a pair of greyish-green eyes as he frowned further. Buck-tooth teeth formed a small smile as he helped the young boy off the table.

“I’m sorry, Soos.” Dipper spoke meekly, fiddling with his fingers.

“You’ll get it eventually. You know you’ve gotta be trained for everything, dude-bro.” The teenager patted his stomach as he spoke, letting loose a tiny chuckle.

“You really think I could get this one?”

“You’ve gotten everything else right since the start. I think you can, dude.” Soos smiled at him like a big brother would, warm and fond.

“Yeah! You’re right! I just gotta keep going!”

* * *

He climbed through the large ditch, passing a stream of chocolate water that was bashing itself against the candy rocks beneath. Pausing, he glanced around before pushing a hand through his dirty brown hair. There was the loud noise of someone breathing heavily behind him, the young girl struggling with all her might to keep up, a small bag swinging from her shoulder, filled with bread and water.

A half-hour left. They had half an hour left until they would arrive to safety. It was well-deserved after how long it took for them to arrive in this area alone. “You coming, Princess?” 

“Can you stop calling me that for once? I get enough off it… “ She sighed. “Whatever, Dipper. Are we almost there?” 

“It will take us about thirty minutes until we get there. We just gotta keep going.” Dipper glanced at the bandage on her sprained wrist, a deadly encounter with a horrendous and monstrous tree that turned against them earlier had left them in a less than favourable state. He turned his attention to the path ahead of them, climbing up the sticky ground, his feet sinking into the surgery mess before it transitioned into a more solid mass. 

“You’ve barely told me anything… “ Mabel mumbled as she caught up with him, walking beside him as they passed licorice trees. 

“I could say the same thing about you. Care to tell me about why you _ still _ want to return to that hellhole?” He stared her down, swatting a bug away. The late afternoon sun shone down on them, luckily not warm enough to melt the hardened chocolate path they were taking.

“Because my Grunkle is still there. He can’t-well-He can’t leave the Fear-a-mid without being… “ Her words became small, silence falling between a few of them. “He made a deal with… The Overlord. A long time ago-He doesn’t like to talk about it often.”

“What word is that, ‘_ Grunkle _’?” He said it was a slight grimace as they continued to walk. His kneecap was swollen with the venom of a Terra-bird, having unfortunately encountered one on the way. Without medical attention, he could pass out if he strained it too much, contained by a swollen and unruly boil. It wouldn’t kill him. It was meant to incapacitate fleeing prey. And it was all because Mabel had to stop to go to the bathroom.

“Great Uncle, Grunkle.” Mabel mumbled, slightly grumpy.

“Oh. Well, I guess he’s my Great Uncle also. The Resistance is waiting for us.” Dipper said with a hint of solidarity. He glanced up at the fading afternoon light, the evening and night time starting to set in. Walking through the sugary wonderland, Dipper was glad to see the ordinary woodland he had grown used to seeing since his childhood.

Stumbling downhill, Dipper paused, pushing Mabel behind him. Tracks. Animal tracks.

He knew these woodlands better than the back of his hand. A shiver fell down his spine as he glanced around warily. “Shush. I think something is watching us.” He whispered, hand hovering above his holster. 

Mabel remained silent as the old trees creaked in the wind and the sun began to slowly set. Swiftly, Dipper pulled out his pistol as a branch cracked on his left. 

And then another loud _ SNAP _ as a branch crunched under something on his right. He heard Mabel yelp in fright as a sickening growl rumbled forward. A large wolf-like creature emerged from the shadows, followed by another four. Snarling and snapping as Dipper urged Mabel backwards. He turned around, glancing behind them to see more of the wolfen demons circling them. 

What caused more panic to flow through his veins were the hellish lavra flowing between cracks across the wolves.

Hellhounds. 

He instantly recalled his memory to the last time he had seen these hellfire beasts. It had been at least five years ago. It had been the last time he had been in the Citadel since recently. It had been the last time he had seen the tyrannical nacho.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it Pinetree?” A wickedly shrill voice taunted, a figure appearing at the edge. Mabel had gripped his hand even tighter, paling like she had seen a ghost. She was trembling in his grasp as the ruler of the universe stepped forward, highlighted in the dimming light by the hellish red light of the hellhounds.

“.... How did you-” He quietly muttered, glancing in concern at Mabel who seemed more frightened by the triangle than the hellhounds. 

“-Find you? Oh, it was quite easy. This is my realm and doesn’t **ever** forget it.” Cipher snarled. The triangle floated forward, poking Dipper roughly in the shoulder as he spoke. Mabel unleashed a small whimper followed by a sob. “I’m here to reclaim what is mine. You can run if you want but I doubt you’d get very far.” Bill Cipher turned his back to them with a look that screamed a smirk.

Dipper was faced with a deadly choice. He couldn’t leave Mabel but he couldn’t let her get captured. Not when they were this close to winning. The pistol in his hand grew hot, almost as if it was on fire. “Ah!” He dropped it to the ground, clutching his now blistering hand. A shrill laugh drowned out the snarling.

Heart racing, Dipper glanced around. There was a singular opening between the hellish creatures. While the demon ruler had his back turned, he rapidly picked up his weapon, jerking Mabel closer. “RUN!” He shouted, pointing towards the opening as Mabel yelped. 

They ran as fast as they could, Dipper dodging under a swiping claw as Bill’s voice echoed behind them. “You can’t get away with this! I’ll catch you!” 

He tore his rifle from his back, aiming it towards the closest hellhound. 

With a loud crackled in the air, the gun fired, barely damaging the imposing creature. Somehow, since his last encounter with these hellfire dogs, they had somehow advanced their defence. He turned around and glanced across his shoulder to see Mabel running even faster, fleeing in the distance. 

His leg flared in pain, knee collapsing beneath him as he let out a whimper of pain as the swollen boil that contained the poison burst open.

In his momentary distraction, he didn’t see the burly creature bound into him. In a dangerous tussle, he was tackled to the ground, the snarling jaws of a hellhound snapping as Dipper used his arms to prevent the incoming death. The pain in his leg was difficult to ignore at that point. A high-pitched whistle sounded as the beast collapsed on top of Dipper, almost crushing him as he was pinned to the earthy forest ground. 

“I thought you’d last longer than this, Pinetree. For someone who knows so much, you sure don’t know how to run.” Cipher taunted him, hovering close to his face. 

He tried squirming in place before letting out an overwhelming scream of pain as the venom pulsed through his veins. “Ahh!”

It was over, he had been caught. An impending sense of failure pressed down harder than the hellhound. His expression of fear changed to disappointment. 

Numbly, he was forced upright as the triangle grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, pistol and rifle tumbling to the ground. He was on the bink between awareness and unconsciousness as the Terra-bird poison became worse. He couldn’t fight back. His body was too weak to allow him. 

“You disappoint me, Pinetree.” Bill spoke, chiding the teenager with a hint of amusement. “Guess what! Because _ you _ so graciously took Shooting Star from my custody I require a suitable replacement for that pathetic _ bitch _.” He talked about Mabel with utter hatred. “And you’re the lucky kid who’s gonna do that!” 

He was beyond able to comprehend what Bill was saying at that point, holding back his tongue as another whisper of pain threatened to become a scream. Stars darted across his eyesight as a rapid black hand nailed him in the nose as the malicious tyrant punched him to the ground with a sickening _ crack _.

Dipper felt his side against the dirt and rocks, crimson liquid oozing from his bleeding nose. A stomach-clenching laugh riddled his ears, his vision becoming blotted with black dots and dizziness.

  
After what seemed like a decade, the inky black spots in the corner of his eyes was all he could see. The unconsciousness was almost welcomed as the pain became a throbbing sensation. _ Almost _ welcomed.


	6. Fate’s Other Plans.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We fear the past but we fear the unknown even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hello! I am so sorry for the cliffhanger. God, it pains me to know that I've left this story in such a state. 
> 
> I think everyone needs an update. I haven't posted in a long time due to some issues over the summer and this story itself has been sitting in my 'Bloody Upload Soon' folder. I'm going to continue this story while I work out other issues with my other stories. Anyway, enough about me, on to the story.

“JUMP WENDY!” The thirteen-year-old shouted, glancing at his fifteen-year-old companion. They dodged under the wooden tree beams, fleeing from the grey yet furry creature that tailed them. The two of them leapt off some jogs, the red-headed female grasping onto a high branch as the young male clung on as tightly as he could. 

“Hold on Dip, you ready?” Despite the terror they felt, Dipper nodded as Wendy swung her arm upwards. He flew up, grabbing onto a thick branch as the snarling wolf jumped to reach them.

Sitting in the nook of the tree, the teenager breathed a sigh of relief as his female friend joined him, heaving herself up after him. His sigh was followed by a small laugh as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. “That was a close one. I didn’t think there were any wolves in the forest after last fall.”

“It’s summer, they must have rebuilt their den over spring, Dipper.” She answered, flicking her dagger out as she started to carve something into the wood of the trunk. He let loose another sigh, pulling out his journal followed by a pen. 

“I don’t study wolves, I study monsters. How would I know about wolves when the kinda wolves I’m interested in are made of larva?”

“You’ve seen hellhounds?” She seemed almost frightened by that.

“In the Citadel, yes. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience running into that tyrant, Wendy.” He stated quite bitterly, turning away slightly as his fingernails dug into the tree bark.

“You’re lucky to have escaped alive. I’m surprised you still have all your limbs attached. You’ve seen what just happened to Pacifica's father, right?” Wendy’s voice had a hint of concern before it dipped to sadness.

He had. He had seen the gruesome remains of Preston Northwest that arrived by messenger three days ago. A horrid reminder of who they were to the ruler of this wasteland. To Dipper, it was just another box in the ground but to someone else, it was another family member in the ground. 

Personally, he had never really liked Mr Northwest. He was too hard on his daughter despite the times they lived in. He shuddered at the memory of a night of drinking homemade wine and an impromptu haircut of numerous children followed by that nightmarish scene in the bedroom. 

Mrs Northwest had been dead long before her husband.

* * *

Dipper cracked his eyes open, greeted by the floor in his face and the bitter copper taste in his mouth. His body was sore in multiple places and stiff when he attempted to get up. He tumbled back down as a striking pain hit him full-force in his leg. The fragments of his past were pushed aside as he tried to recall how he had ended up there. It was dark, darker than any starless night he had ever witnessed. The air felt cold, frozen and empty as he shifted upright properly. The ground beneath him felt like stone, hard and chilled rock. 

He felt his stomach drop as he finally realised where he was. He pressed a hand against his nose, feeling the dried remains of what he assumed to be blood. He traced his hands through every pocket and every hidden segment to discover that everything seemed to be in place, even his pistol which remained intact but somehow not where he left it. Everything was there, everything but his journal.

Dipper felt like an absolute failure, placing a hand against his knee to feel the jagged outside of a possibly very deep wound. He knew that he had somehow been captured and he prayed that Mabel had successfully escaped. His stomach felt as if it was being jolted around on a rollercoaster, or at least what Stan had told what it felt like going on a roller coaster as he had never been on one.

As his eyes finally adjusted, a subtle beam of light appeared between rusted bars, moonlight shining down on him and illuminating the dimly lit cell. Dipper turned around to see a single door, shut before him. 

“No… not this place. It can’t be here. It shouldn’t exist.” He breathed out, clutching his hair slightly. Familiarity washed over him quite quickly. He had been here before. There was no way but out. He had escaped from this place before, he could escape again. 

Dipper glanced at his knee, staring at it for a second. The wound was too deep to glue back together if he had any glue to begin with. Stitches would have to do. It wasn’t the first time he had done this to himself or to others. He pulled out a small make-shift medical kit before withdrawing a flask and flicking it open. He gulped down some of the burning liquid, letting loose a grimace. “It’s even worse than the first time I tried this stuff. Stan was right, I really do need to try more things.” Unzipping the bag, he pulled out a simple needle and thread. 

With slightly uneasy hands, he held his breath and started to stitch it closed. With every incision, he held back a gasp by drowning his screams in more of the golden liquid from his flask. He tightly bound the wound closed, using whatever bandages or t-shirt fragments he could find before lay on his back.

After what seemed like hours, he stumbled upright, using the jagged stones of the wall to assist his assent before heading towards the door. He tugged on the doorknob, wiggling it and attempting to open it. The door shuttered open with a loud and long creak, permeating the silence with its haunting noise.

* * *

Panting, she tumbled down the small ditch, scraping her knee against the rocky side. She allowed herself to lay there for a moment, listening to the wilderness around her. The howling was long gone. The growls no longer audible in the air. 

She had fled.

Steadily, Mabel rose to her feet, using a nearby rock to lift herself upwards. Although, if she had gotten away, where was Dipper? Biting her lip, she glanced out into the darkness before freezing. The pale white light spiked through the darkness, the moon shining down onto the ball of yarn on a stump. Was this some kind of trap invented by the Overlord to recapture her? 

“Maybe it’s just wool… “ She mumbled. Stumbling forward, she stretched out a hand, grasping the fibres gently. She had never felt wool like this before. It was rough unlike the synthetic kind she had grown to use.

There was a sudden jolt as something beneath her pulled upwards, flinging her high as a thick rope net surrounded her. “Ah! Help! Please!” She begged, panicking. Her words became jumbled as she struggled to breathe and contain her anxiety. “Please! I need to-Ah-I-Dipper!” She screamed for the teenager who had escorted her this far, a rustling in the trees as she did so.

“Dipper? How do you know Dipper?” A voice spoke as a figure emerged from the tree canopy nearby, red coloured hair bright in the moonlight, muddy boots placed firmly on the tree trunk beneath her. 

“He-Uh-What?” She was struggling to understand what was happening, looking in fear and confusion at this stranger. “He… He got me out of the Citadel.” She managed to splurt out, panicked eyes darting towards the ditch and further into the dark forest. The strange woman stared at Mabel for a moment, almost as if she was drinking in every detail from her. 

“Who are you?” Mabel blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what the red-head was saying.

“Huh?” She squeaked, looking confused as she stopped squirming in the net.

“**WHO ARE YOU!?**” The woman repeated, glaring down at her.

“M-M-Mabel. Mabel Pines.”


	7. Into An Abyss.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past still holds answers, running in circles trying to find the questions is the hard part.

“How do  _ you _ know Dipper?” The red-head questioned, still sitting up in the tree.

“L-Like I said, he got me out of the Citadel… “ Mabel mumbled meekly, clinging to the bag on her side closely. 

“Well,  _ Mabel _ , does this look like him?” The woman pulled forward a photograph, the edges worn with mud and splattered with some kind of crimson liquid. Mabel knew who she was looking at instantly. 

Seeing the realization in her eyes, the woman jumped, grabbing onto the net as she loosened the knots, sending them both to the ground. The two landed on the ground, the strange woman instantly helping Mabel upright.

“Thank you. That’s-W-We… Oh no. No. We got caught. I don’t know if-oh no.“ She rapidly mumbled out, chewing on her fingernails.

“What’s wrong, kid?” The red-head asked, scrunching her brow in confusion.

“Something caught us.” She looked up at her new companion, wide-eyed and pale.

* * *

“Grunkle! Grunkle! Look-y what I finds!” The young four-year-old stumbled through the hallway, the carpet under her curling up as she skidded to a halt at the feet of the older man. The young girl beamed widely, showing off her pearly white teeth with a singular gap where she had yet to gain one there. The older man let loose a small chuckled as he picked her up, lifting her high. 

“What do you have there, little star?” The shadows blocked most of his face, shallow eyes looking down at her. But she didn’t notice that, instead she lifted up the small lizard in her chubby little toddler fingers. The tiny little white creature flicked its tongue at them.

“Wha sho-uld I name him, Grunkle?” The young girl looked back up at him, smiling. 

“I dunno, Mabel, what do you want to name him?” His grim sounding voice didn’t phase the young child, rather she tapped a finger against her nose with a loud hum.

“Wha a-boot Will-am?” She shouted, breaking up her words slightly as she spoke. 

“Why, William sounds like a wonder-” There was a loud crash as the entire building shook, causing a nearby vase to topple over, smashing onto the ground. Mabel let loose a slight whimper, clutching tightly to her Grunkle’s jacket as the man slowly slid her to the ground. “Go hide, little star. Just stay out of sight as we practised.” He ushered her away as shouting echoed down the hallway, vibrating the windows to the brink of shattering. 

Mabel looked up with wide-eyes, slowly crawling under the table where a large cloth covered the edges. She could see the bottom of her Grunkles feet as she sat there, the ground trembling beneath them. 

She clutched the small lizard named William closer as the shouting came closer and closer.

* * *

“What happened? Can you tell me where Dipper is?” The woman questioned, inches away from Mabel’s face. She stared at the woman, shaking slightly. Who was this woman? How did she know Dipper and why was she so concerned?

“I said that we got caught. We got caught. Oh, no. He has him. No, no, no. This wasn’t supposed to have happened. He promised- Fuck.” She breathed out, gripping tightly onto her hair with an exasperated grunt. She began to pace back and forth, old thoughts beginning to spill forward.

The woman stared at her a few more seconds before bursting out into a loud chortle, laughter echoing from her mouth as she leant backwards. “My god, you’re just like him. Haha. Ahh.” She wiped away a few tears that had formed before clasping a hand onto Mabel’s shoulder. “I’m Wendy by the way. I was gonna kill you but hell, you certainly are a Pines.”

“Wait, what? YOU WERE GONNA-” She rapidly recoiled, holding up her arms in defence.

“Hey! It’s not like Dip didn’t tell us  _ who _ was with him, huh? And that’s beside the point. Do you know where Dipper is at all? Secondly,  _ who _ took him?” The red-head woman stared at her blankly while she spoke, any tell-tale signs of emotion completely void. Mabel felt herself shaking again, slowly sitting down as she felt her eyes stinging.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she clung to her knees before she let loose a shaky sob. “B-B-Bill took him. He-He-He took D-Dipper because of… me. Oh, Wendy, it’s all my fault.” Wendy had paled greatly, a shaky hand slowly placing itself on her shoulder. “He took him… I think he took him-” The bushes shuffled, loud shouting echoing from between the trees.

“WENDY! WHERE-” A male figure burst through the bracken, slightly rushed and panicked. He paused, staring at the pair with surprise and shock. “Ariel?”

“Grunkle Ford?”

* * *

“This is useless. Completely and utterly useless.” He shouted, slamming a fist against the stone wall with an estrangled huff. He turned around, leaning back against the wall before sliding down and sitting there. Dipper had been walking in circles. This place wasn’t like it used to be. There was nothing but the sound of his voice as he let loose a sigh.

It must be a trick. A carefully crafted illusion. It was almost, hauntingly familiar as he raised his head to stare at the rusted bars that somehow prevented his escape. Like a rat trapped in a maze, he knew there was no way out other than one. “I know you’re watching me. It’s obvious.” He shouted outwards.

When no one responded, he shouted again. “I know that you’re there. What do you want from me, Cipher!?” A loud creak filled the echoing silence, a door that wasn’t there before opening before his eyes. Dipper instantly rose up, darting towards the door as he plunged inside. 

He didn’t know if it was the sheer desperation to get out of there or the fact he knew it would somehow lead to his escape, but he had to go through the door. 

The door slammed behind him as he stared out to the forest before him. 

Sudden suspicion struck him as he stared at the lush green forest. “What…” He breathed out. This wasn’t right. There was no way this door could lead outside. Unless it did and he was the one at fault. He turned around to that the door had completely vanished and when he turned back to the forest, it too was gone. 

It had been replaced by the same cell he had left.

* * *

“What are you talking about-” The gruff man questioned, leaning into a single fold-out chair.

“I told you already, Stanley. There’s no way you can stop this! Our fate-” The other man seemed exasperated, wilding waving his hands around in an attempt to explain something.

“Fuck our fate, Stanford. There is no way in hell that I am-”

“You must. If he gets his hands on both of them-” Stanford shouted back.

“He’ll what? Just tell me for god’s sake, Sixer! We just can’t risk Ariel’s safety for some mumbo-jumbo you heard from a space witch!”

“She’s not a witch. She’s an Or-”

“That’s beside the point! How do you know that she could actually get away without getting caught?! We barely have enough members to sustain our small army, let alone trying to escort the supposed mother of-”

“We need to, Stanley. She’s three weeks pregnant. She can’t-We can’t let her stay there!” Stanford Pines shouted at his twin brother, gripping onto a worn journal with desperation in his eyes. Their eyes met from a brief moment before Stanley sighed. 

“Fine. I’ll stay here. You go save our niece.”


End file.
